Quick-release wringer mechanism



April 1 1924. 1,488,884

R. P. KIDDER QUICK RELEASE WRINGER MECHANISM Filed April 19. 1920 Patented ipr. l, 19.24.

QUICK-RELEASE VJRNGEB JEHA'ISM.

Application filed-April 19, 122i).

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it vknown that I, Rorrrnsar l). Kronen, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State oi' Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvenientev in a QuiclcReleasc W ringer Mechanism; and l do hereby declare that the iollowing4 is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,l reference being had to the acconipanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which torni a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to an improved type oi' wringer wherein the wringer rolls are provided with a quick release mechanism to permit a substantially instantaneous separation of the wringer rolls.

It is an object oi' this invention to provide a balanced pressure wringer with means whereby the wringer rolls may be instantaneously released.

A' further object of the invention is the construction of a wringer wherein the rolls areadapted to be adjusted` by means of a single adjusting screw and a spring.

It is furthermore an object oi' this invention to provide a clothes wringer with a roll releasing mechanism vof ay simple and etico-- tivek construction to permit instantaneous release or" the wringer rolls to remove the pressure from clothes passing between the` rolls.

@ther and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the drawings and speciiica-v tion.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawingsi Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section of a wringerl embodying the principles of this invention showing parts in elevation and parts'broken away.

Fig. 2vis a section talren on linef22 of` Seria llo. 374,852.

As shown on the drawings- Tie reference numeral l indicates a .wringer YErrine having a removable hood or top 2 adapted to close the upper chambered portion ci" the frame. Latches 3 anl tie rods l are provided` :tor holding the hood 2 in place.

Secured in the lower portion or' the frame 1. by bolts 5 is a drain trough 6 to one end oic which is connected a drain pipe or spout 7. rlhe drain trough 6 is positioned below wringer rolls 8 which are provided with axial shafts or spindles 9 the ends of which project'into vertical guide slotsl() formed in partition plates 11.

Mounted in each end oic the traine 1 are a pair of oppositely disposed bearing guides 12 between which lower and upper spindle bearingbloolrs 13 and fl'i'espectively are placed. Roll gna-rds 15 are provided to pro-- tect the ends ci the rolls. Disposed longitudinally in the wringer frame above the upper roll 8 is a convex or upwardly curved wringer plate spring 16 provided at its middle or highest portion with a socket 17 for removably receiving the lower end of an adjusting device or screw 1S. rlhe screw 18 projects upwardly through a longitudinal slot'l19 provided in the top wall or" the hood 2. il. hand wheel. 2O is secured on the upper projecting end of the adjusting screw 18 to facilitate operation thereof.

The ends of the plate spring 16 seat in notches provided in the upper bearing blocks 14 as shown in Fig. 1. JPlates 21 are secured in the top ot the upper bearing blocks 14 for the purpose of retaining the ends of the spring 16 in place. Rigidly secured to the middle portion of the inner surface of the sides oi the `trarne hood 2 are a pair of oppositely disposed release brackets 22, having linlr pins 23 secured thereto. The pins 23 project into slots 2d provided in links 25 mounted adjacent the release brackets 22. Holes are provided near the lower ends or" the links 25 for receiving the trunnions 26 oi a knuckle or block 27. The block 27 separates the links 25 and is provided with a threaded passage through which the screw 18 is threaded. rlhe upper ends of the linlrs 25 contact the inner surface of the top wall of the frame hood 2.

rihe operation is as follows:

The wringer rolls 8 have the spindles 9 thereof journaled in the bearing blocks 13 and 14. The plate spring 16 which engages in the notches of the upper bearing blocks le is adapted to be stressed or depressed by turning the single adjusting screw 18 by means of the hand wheel 20. The screw 18 threads downwardly through the block 27 and the inner end of said screw being normally engaged in the spring socket 17 acts to compress or 'orce the spring downwardly. rll`he upper bearing blocks 14e are thus moved downwardly between the guide members 12, thereby moving the upper roll 8 toward the iower roll, an amount depending` upon the adjustment of the adjusting screw 18. Y

When the wringer is operated, wet clothes may be run between the wringer rolls 8 for wringing the greater part of the water from the wet clothes. The water removed from the clothes falls into the trough 6 and is permitted to be drained oit through the drain spout 7.

In case of injury or amming of the rolls, the upper wringer roll can be quickly released 'from the lower wringer roll by longi- Jtudinally swinging the screw 18 to one side or the other. During the swinging of the screw 18, the block 27 will rotate on its trunnions 25, since the links 25 are tightly pressed against the top of the casing and cannot swing until the lower end of the screw has been swung out of the socket in the spring plate 16. As soon as the end of the screw 18 has been shifted out ot said socket, the links 25 will drop suiiiciently on account ot their lost motion connection with the rigidly secured brackets 22 so that the block 27 can be laterally shifted with respect to an axis defined by the pins 23. Thus the links 25 that support the block 27 may be termed suspension members and the links 25 together with the block 27 form a stirrup that has lost motion connections with the rigid brackets 22, which stirrup will drop downwardly and swing laterally when the lowel` end of the screw is shifted out of its socket in spring plate 16.

1 am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the Ipatent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

l. elaim as my invention:

1. A, wringer comprising a. frame having a slot in the top thereof, lower and upper bearing blocks in said frame, rolls in said trame engaged with said bearing blocks, a spring above said rolls having the ends thereof resting in said upper bearing blocks,

a socket formed in said spring, brackets secured in said trame on opposite sides of said spring, pins mounted on said brackets, slotted apertured links engaged on 'said pins, a block having a threaded passage therein, trunnions on'said block pivotally engaged in the apertures of said links, and an adjusting screw projecting through the frame siot and threaded through the threaded passage or' said block to engage in said spring socket and depress said spring to cause adjustment oi said rolls, said screw adapted te be swung in said trame slot to cause the inner end of said screw to leave the spring socket and thereby instantanefr other, a spring plate eo-acting with the ends oi' said movable roll, stirrup, means for pivotally supporting said stirrup over the middle of said plate, and an adjustable device carried by said stirrup and coacting with said spring plate for varying the tension of said spring plate.

3. In a wringer having a pair or rolls with one movably mounted relative to the other, a spring plate eo-acting with the upper roll, a stirrup having a rotatable bearing mounted in the lower end thereof, means for supporting said stirrup over the middle portion of said spring plate, and an adjustable device supported by said rotatable bearing and co-atcing with said spring plate for varying the pressure of said plate on said rolls.

4f. ln a wringer having a pair of rolls mounted for relative movement, spring .plate bearing upon the ends ot one of said j rolls, a pair of supporting brackets above the upper roll, suspension members pivotally connected to said brackets, a block rotatably supported by said members, and an adjusting screw extending through said block and in contact with said spring plate.

5. ln a wringer having a pair of rolls mounted for relative movement in a vertical plane, `a spring plate bearing upon the ends of one of said rolls, a stirrup supported for vertical and oscillatable movement, and an adjustable device carried by said stirrup for varying the tension of' said spring plate and effecting a quick release of one of said rolls.

ln testimony whereof 1 have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence oi a subscribing witness.

ROTHESAY P. KIDDER. Witness:

F. W. WILLARD. 

